Crops for Cover Crop Cocktails
The following is a list of crops commonly used for cover crop cocktails and the pros and cons of each plant:
LEGUMES
Berseem Clover
- Cool season legume
- Nitrogen fixation - Needs inoculant
- Shallow taproot
- Sensitive to grazing
- 140,000 seeds per pound - 4 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Slender stems
- Moderate C:N ratio
- Mycorrhizal association
Persian Clover
- Cool season legume
- Nitrogen fixation, flooding tolerance
- Grazing tolerant
- Branching taproot
- 140,000 seeds per pound - 4 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Tight C:N ratio
- Forms mycorrhizal association
Crimson Clover
- Cool season legume
- Nitrogen fixation - requires inoculation
- Taproot
- 149,000 seeds per pound - 4 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Good shade tolerance
- Mycorrhizal association
- Fair regrowth after grazing/cutting
BROADLEAVES
Phacelia
- Cool season broadleaf forb
- Soil stabilizer
- 240,000 seeds per pound (7 seeds/sq ft/pound) - 1/2 to 3 pounds per acre
- Bees love the flowers
- Moderate C:N ratio ( 12:1)
- High producer of glomulin
- Forms mycorrhizal association
- Fair regrowth after grazing/cutting
Buckwheat
- Cool season broadleaf
- Warm season growth characteristics
- Nutrient scavenger, weed suppression, attracts pollinators
- Enhances soil P availability
- Dense fibrous root
15,000 seeds per pound - 0.4 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Quick establishment, very frost sensitive
- Moderate C:N ratio (14:1)
- No mycorrhizal association
- Limited regrowth after grazing/cutting
Safflower
- Warm season broadleaf
- Nutrient scavenger, saline tolerant, drought tolerant, attracts pollinators
- Tap root
- 12,500 seeds per pound - 0.3 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Spines on leaves
- C:N ratio is wide at maturity (50:1)
- Forms mycorrhizal association
- Fair regrowth after grazing/cutting
Chicory
- Warm season broadleaf
- Late season growth
- Can be perennial, usually winter kills it here
- Nutrient scavenging, breaks compaction, weed suppression
- 425,000 seeds/pound
- 11 seeds/sq ft/pound
- Tight C:N ratio
- Fair regrowth after grazing/cutting
Plantain
- Cool season broadleaf
- Soil Stabilizer, fall grazing, weed suppression
- 320,000 seeds per pound, 8.8 seed/sq ft/pound
- Tight C:N ratio
- High protein content
- Mycorrhizal association
- Good regrowth after grazing/cutting
Sunflower
- Warm season growth broadleaf
- Nutrient scavenger, breaks compaction
- Oilseed sunflowers
- 60,000 seeds/pound - 1.6 seed/sq ft/pound
- Decent salinity tolerance
- End of season C:N is wide (40:1)
- Forms mycorrhizal association
- Stalks may cause cuts on cattle
- No regrowth after grazing/cutting
BROADLEAVES - BRASSICAS
Forage Brassica
- Cool season broadleaf Brassica
- Nutrient scavenger
- 150,000 seeds per pound
- 4 seed/sq ft/pound
- Easy to establish
- Small tuber, reduces choking risk when grazing
Very high RFV and protein
- Tight C: N ratio (10:1)
- No Mycorrhizal association
- Good regrowth after grazing/cutting
Tillage Radish
- Cool season broadleaf Brassica
- Nutrient scavenger, weed suppresion, breaks compaction
- 33,000 seeds per pound (0.7 seeds/sq ft/pound)
- Quick to establish
- Bolts after 6 weeks of growth
- Very high RFV and protein
- Tight C:N ratio (9:1)
- No mycorrhizal association
- Good regrowth after grazing/cutting
CEREALS
Annual Rye
- Cool season grass
- Nutrient scavenger, builds Organic matter, fibrous root
- 193,000 seeds per pound
- 5 seeds/ sq ft/pound
- Low drought tolerance
- Vegetative Tight
- Maturity Wide
- Mycorrhizal association
- Good regrowth after grazing/cutting
Japanese Millet
- Warm season grass
- One of few millets that regrows
- Nutrient scavenger, fibrous root
- 142,000 seeds/ pound
- 4 seeds/ sq ft/ pound
- Very rapid growth in warm nights
- Mycorrhizal association
- Good regrowth after grazing/cutting
By: Dr. Yamily Zavala, Chinook Applied Research Association
